Late For Reality
by BabyBallerina95
Summary: Bella's mom and dad died whe she was little, and she's stuck living with her step-monster, Bianca, and her two evil stepsisters. At seventeen, she gets an IM buddy, and the two tech-crossed lovers agree to meet at the Halloween dance. Who's her Prince?
1. Chapter 1

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyers, with the exception of Bianca.**

* * *

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, lived a beautiful little girl and her widowed father.

Okay, so it wasn't really a faraway kingdom. It was Forks, Washington, a totally unmagical small town-and it only looked faraway because you could barely see it through all the rain. But for Isabella Swan, it was all the kingdom she needed-it was home.

Sure, sometimes Bella missed having a mom, but her father made sure she never missed out on anything. They were best friends, and they did everything together. Being raised by a guy might have put her behind in the makeup and fashion departments, but Bella didn't care about any of that stuff. She didn't want to play with dolls or have tea parties; she wanted to climb trees and ride bikes and play softball-and that's exactly what she did, with her dad right by her side. As Bella saw it, she was pretty much the luckiest girl in the world.

Life was perfect. Her dad owned Charlie's Diner, the coziest, tastiest restaurant in Forks, and for Bella, it was home away from home. Everything about the place reminded her of her dad, especially the quote hanging over the front door. It read, "NEVER LET THE FEAR OF STRIKING OUT KEEP YOU FROM PLAYING THE GAME," and even at seven years old, Bella knew what that meant. It meant that she should be fearless, that she should try her best, that she could be anything she wanted to be-and she know she could do it, because her father would be there right beside her the whole way.

And then, just when life seemed most perfect, everything changed.

It was Bella's eighth birthday, and it started out as the best day of her life. Charlie's Diner was a place where everybody felt like family, and a birthday-especially an eighth birthday-was a big deal. Everyone was there: Eleanor and Rhonda, the waitresses; Bobby, the cook; Sam's best friend, Jake; and of course, her dad. They all squeezed around a table in the diner, and when Bobby brought out the cake and set it down in front of her, Bella was so happy, she thought her heart might explode.

"Make a wish, Princess," Rhonda told her with a wink. But Bella didn't know what to wish for-after all, it's hard to think of a good wish when you have everything you ever wanted. So she closed her eyes, because that's what you do when you're eight years old and you need to think really hard. And since her eyes were closed, she never saw it coming.

"It" of course, meant "her."

Bianca

Bianca, tall, thin, and beautiful-that is if you like that disgustingly well manicured, every hair in its place and every eyebrow tweezed to perfection kind of look.

Bianca, perfectly composed-and perfectly horrible.

Bianca who had never made a false move in her life, walked past the birthday party, tripped over her own two feet, and fell into Bella's father's arms-and into his life. As Bella blew out the candles, wishing only that her life would stay exactly as it was at that moment, she opened her eyes to grin up at her father, the one who'd made all this perfection possible. But her father wasn't looking at her, not anymore. He was looking at Bianca- _gazing_ at Bianca. And that was that.

You can guess the rest. Love at first site. Dinner. Dancing. Moonlit walks on the beach in La Push. Blah, blah, blah. And before you knew it-the storybook wedding. All it took was a few vows, two "I do's," a giant diamond ring-and Bianca was officially part of the family. For richer, for poorer, till death do us part, and all the rest.

It was enough to make you sick.

And believe it or not, that wasn't even the worst part.

Bella's new stepmother had been married five times before. Husband number two resulted in the birth of twins, Lauren and Jessica… Bella's new stepsisters. This was a family picture that Bella did not want to be a part of.

But no one had asked her. And now they were one big happy family… not.

Even so, years later when Bella looked back on those days, she realized that thins weren't quite as bad as they seemed. Sure, Bianca was a hideous excuse for a stepmother, and Lauren and Jessica, well, they barely qualified as human, much less sisters. They certainly weren't anyone that Bella wanted to share her house with. But at least she still had her house, and it was still-despite the unwelcome permanent guests-perfect. She still had her perfect room, her perfect diner, and, of course, her perfect dad.

She still had her fairy tale.

If only it had lasted just a little longer.


	2. Chapter 2

**All characters, except Bianca, belong to Stephenie Meyers.**

* * *

When she was older, Bella always thought it was strange that she didn't remember much about that day, the day it happened. She didn't remember what she'd had for dinner, or what she was wearing, or who had won the softball game that afternoon.

But that night-that she remembered perfectly. Too perfectly. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes, she could still see him sitting next to her bed, reading out of their favorite book of fairy tales.

"And the beautiful Princess and her handsome Prince rode off to his castle and lived happily ever after," he'd read. Then he closed the book and leaned over to kiss her goodnight.

"Do fairy tales come true, Dad?" Bella had asked.

Her father smiled. "No, but dreams come true," he told her. "If there's something you really want, if it's your dream, you can make it happen."

"Do you have a dream?" she asked.

"My dream is that you'll grow up, go to college, and maybe someday build your own castle," he said.

But Bella wasn't ready to go to bed, so she came up with another very important question. "Where do princesses go to college?"

She'd almost stumped him with that one, Bella remembered. He paused for a long moment, and then began, "Why, they go to…they go to this place where there's a…" He paused again, then grinned. "A place where there's a ton of young princes. Princeton."

"Should I go to Princeton?" Bella asked. She didn't actually know what Princeton was, but if her dad wanted her to go there, it sounded like a good idea. Plus, what princess wouldn't want to go to a land full of princes?

"Nothing would make me happier," her father said. "But Bella, fairy tales aren't just about meeting handsome princes." He gestured toward the fairy tale book, from which they read a story every night. "They're about fulfilling dreams and standing up for what you believe in."

Bella looked confused (she was, after all, only eight years old).

"It's like I always say," her father continued, trying to help her understand. "Never let the fear of striking out…"

"…keep you from playing the game!" Bella finished for him. She'd heard it a million times before, but it never got old.

Her father handed her the book of fairy tales. "Just remember," he told her, "if you look carefully, this book contains important things that you may need to know later in life."

Bella nodded-he didn't need to tell her. She already knew that life was a fairy tale and that her favorite book had all the information she needed to get by in the world.

And then, before her father could tuck her in, her world began to fall apart. Literally. Her bed, her nightstand, her book, her entire house felt like it was shaking itself to pieces. Earthquake!

"Quick, under the doorway!" Bella cried, knowing that was the safest place to be until the quake ended. She grabbed her father's hand and they ran to the doorway, to safety.

Then they heard it. Bianca's voice.

"Help!" she shrieked. "My cat! My cat!"

Bella's father moved toward the hallway, but Bella clung to his hand.

"Don't go," she pleaded, pulling him toward her. But although she was holding him as tightly as she could, he pulled away, racing down the hall to rescue Bianca's darling pet.

"I'll be back," he promised Bella, who was hugging the doorway, tears streaming down her face.

And then he disappeared down the hall.

Just like that, he was gone.

"I'll be back," he'd said.

It was the first time he'd ever broken a promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, except Bianca.**

* * *

After that, everything changed.

Bella's father-her best friend-was gone.

She was alone.

Everywhere she went, everything she did reminded her of him. The softball field, where he'd taught her to pitch. The diner, where they'd shared milk shakes and secrets. The house where she'd grown up, the house that reminded her so much of him, from his picture in the hall to the creaky stair he'd never gotten around to fixing, to the chair by her bed, where he'd read her one last bedtime story.

The house that wasn't hers any longer.

Bella's father hadn't left a will, which meant that Bianca got _everything_- the house, the diner, and, to her dismay, Bella. After about five minutes, Bianca snapped out of mourning and into action. She fixed all the earthquake damage, but didn't stop there. Not Biance, fashion queen. She whipped out her catalogs, her cell phone, and her credit card, and in no time at all had turned the house into a disaster of tackiness that Bella barely recognized.

Her perfect bedroom was the first to go- and when the renovations were complete, and the softball trophies had been replaced by something suitably pink and vomitous, Bella was forced out and Jessica moved on in.

It was only the beginning. With Bella's father out of the way, Bianca could finally show her true colors, and this wicked stepmother couldn't wait to get started. Bella got the worst of everything, starting with her new "bedroom," aka, the attic.

The attic may have been dark and dirty, filled with dust and cobwebs, but Bella didn't care-it was the room farthest away from Bianca and her evil offspring, so it was just fine with her. When she'd lugged her last box upstairs (certainly no one in the house was going to help her move despite the fact that the box weighed more than she did), she sat down on her creaky cot and looked around her.

_This is it_, she thought grimly. _This is my life now._

It was the end of a dream and the beginning of a nightmare.


	4. Chapter 4

**The only thing I own is Bianca.**

**

* * *

  
**

That was eight years ago, and nothing had improved in the meantime. You don't need to hear the details to believe that- just imagine living life in an attic, surrounded by a stepfamily that just wishes you would disappear.

Some days were better, some days were worse, but in general, nothing much changed. Bella got older and older, her stepsisters got uglier and meaner, and Bianca got better and better at making Bella's life miserable.

But here's the thing: Bella was tough, and she made it through. She even made it bearable. Almost. She'd hidden the grimy walls of her attic bedroom behind a layer of posters, and filled the room with hundreds of books that she loved, books that had gotten her through so many long nights growing up. A Princeton banner reminded her that there was hope for the future- and her prized possession, a picture of her and her dad at their last Mariners game together, reminded her that life hadn't always been this hard. Sometimes, shut up in her room, enjoying her privacy and dreaming of the future, she could almost forget the realities of her present. And then-

"Be-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-a!" screamed Bianca. The wicked stepmother herself, still around and still the bane of Bella's existence. Did she care that it was five A.M.? That Bella was sleeping? That the entire world didn't exist merely to serve her every whim?

Not a chance.

"Where's my salmon!" she called, her piercing voice flying up the stairs and rocketing Bella out of her sleep more efficiently than the loudest alarm clock. "I need my salmon!"

(Yes, you read right, her _salmon_- just wait, you'll understand soon enough.)

* * *

Bella carried the plate out into the backyard, ready to rescue Bianca from her salmon crisis. The sun was still hovering on the horizon, but she knew Bianca would already be lounging by the pool, watching her two precious daughters practice their synchronized swimming.

Lauren and Jessica, wearing matching bathing suits, swim caps, and nose plugs, were performing mirror exercises in the shimmering water under the watchful eye of their synchronized-swimming coach, Laurent.

Laurent was a man in his mid-thirties who spent his days teaching prissy girls how to spin around in the water at the same time. And that's about all you need to know about him.

"Come on, girls," he called to them, "let's keep our concentration. You're a mirror of each other."

Lauren- or maybe Jessica- seemed confused. "Is that me? Or is that my reflection?"

Bella shook her head, trying not to laugh. Apparently the complicated concepts involved in this "sport" were too much for her idiot stepsisters.

"Bella!" Bianca shouted, distracting her from her morning's amusement.

"Coming," she said, and- slowly as humanly possible- made her way over to Bianca's lounge chair. Bianca looked pretty much as she had eight years before, although she'd expanded about two dress sizes since then (refusing to admit that, she continued to buy clothes appropriate for a woman half her size). Bella winced, thinking that she was almost related to this…this _creature_- badly chosen clothes, badly colored hair, badly done nose job, and all.

This morning, as every morning this month, Bianca had her favorite new book propped open in front of her: The Salmon Diet. Bella wasn't sure Bianca had actually read the book (actually, Bella wasn't too sure that Bianca could read at all), but the woman had certainly taken it to heart. This was only the latest in a long string of fad diets Bianca had picked up and dropped over the years. None of them seemed to work…but they did provide Bella with an endless source of entertainment.

"Is this the Norwegian salmon?" Bianca asked. "I need my Omega-threes."

Her what? But Bella just smiled politely and nodded. "They're Norwegian salmon, just like you asked."

"They better be," Bianca said, shooting her a warning look. They she glanced over at the pool, where Lauren and Jessica were attempting an elaborately symbolic water dance- either that or they were trying to drown each other. "Just look at them," Bianca continued, her voice dripping with poisonous motherly warmth. "So, so, so, so gifted."

Bella looked again and stifled a laugh- yes, definitely trying to drown each other.

"Well, don't just stand there with your mouth gaping open!" Bianca snapped. "Get to work!"

"But I have school," Bella protested.

Bianca looked disgusted. "Oh school, schmool," she said. "Stop being such a whiner. Most kids would love to skip school." She waved her hand- the signal that Bella and her mundane concerns were officially dismissed. "Now get going!"

Bella sighed and traipsed back toward the house. If she was going to head over to the diner this morning, she might as well get it over with. And then, just when it seemed like the morning couldn't get off to a worse start, the sprinklers went off. Right where Bella was standing. Drenched, Bella raced for the spigot to turn off the water.

"Leave them!" Bianca commanded. "The lawn is looking a little brown."

"But we're supposed to be cutting back on water." Bella reminded her. The state of Washington was in a flood crisis (though really, when wasn't it?), and lawn sprinklers were definitely on the list of "don't's."  
"But we're supposed to be cutting back," Bianca mimicked her in a baby's voice. She looked at Bella as if her stepdaughter was a wet and bedraggled stray dog who'd stumbled onto the property- and was destined for the pound. With that, Bianca stuffed and enormous piece of salmon into her mouth and went back to "reading" her book.

Bella shook her head, heading back into the house. That was Bianca in a nutshell. Always thinking of those less fortunate than herself- thinking of them and then, of course shrugging in indifference.

* * *

Bella tossed her books into the truck and took off for the diner. Her dad's old truck had seen better days, but it did the job- and it still reminded her of him.

Which was more than she could say for the diner.

Bella still shuddered every time she saw it, her beautiful old diner redone Bianca-style, complete with a giant neon sign (reading "Bianca's," of course) and has an Elvis-shaped clock covering up her dad's favorite quote. That Bianca, she was a real class act.

The inside was even worse- but at least Bella's surrogate family was still around. Bella smiled, watching Rhonda and Bobby fight in the kitchen as they always did, like an old married couple.

"Bobby, that's enough with the salmon," Rhonda complained. "Salmon omelets, salmon soup, salmon pudding. We're gonna grow gills!"

Bobby didn't look any happier with the salmon than Rhonda did, but he knew his job. "Rhonda, those are Bianca's favorites," he reminded her.

As Rhonda came out of the kitchen and began chatting up the customers, Bella ducked into the back to change into her uniform. Vintage 1950s-era "Bianca's Diner" shirt, 1950s-era "Bianca's Diner" skirt, and- though she still couldn't believe that such a humiliating possibility had actually come to pass- 1950s-era "Bianca's Diner" roller skates. What a job. What a life.

The morning passed as it always did- Bella bussed her tables, tried not to topple off her skates, and did her best to leaf through the occasional textbook as she rolled by. She usually tried to strategically position her homework throughout the diner so that she would at least have a chance to get part of it done. Bella amused that Princeton wasn't really in the market for a roller-skating waitress who had flunked out of high school, so she was doing her best to make sure it didn't come to that. So far, so good.

"Bella, what are you still doing here?" Rhonda asked.

"I'm almost done," Bella called back over her shoulder as she rolled on to her next stack of dirty dishes.

"You're going to be late for school," Rhonda warned.

"I'll get there. Bianca goes ballistic if I don't finish."

Rhonda balled up her fists in frustration. "I couldn't care less about Bianca," she bellowed. "What I care about is your education."

"But…"

"She's got you getting up at the crack of dawn like some kind of rooster," Rhonda complained.

"But…"

"Your dad would want you at school, not here."

"But…"

"That's enough buts," Rhonda cut her off. "You just leave Bianca and her big butt to me."

Bella had to laugh. "Thanks Rhonda," she said, giving her friend a hug. She grabbed her books and was about to run out of the diner when she remembered- her '50s clothes. Her '50s skates. Her totally not- '50s school.

Better change first.

* * *

Bella pulled up to Jake's house, hoping he hadn't been waiting for too long. Jake was her best friend, and had been since she was a kid. He had never cared that she was a total tomboy and she had never cared that he was totally…weird. Who knows, maybe that's why they got along so well.

When Bella arrived, Jake's father was out in the driveway, intently bent over the tire of his convertible with a toothbrush and a can of Armor All.

"Looking good, Mr. Black," Bella called out of the window.

"A man's best friend is his Mercedes, Bells," Mr. Black said. As he said every time she saw him. They were words he most definitely lived by.

"I'll remember that," Bella said, suppressing a smile. Before she could learn any more about the joys of owning, driving, polishing, and generally loving a Mercedes, Jake strolled out of the house and down the driveway to join them. He was dressed like a pimp from the 1970's.

"_Anything_ is possible, if you just believe," he greeted them.

It's probably important to note here that Jake was an actor. Wannabe actor, at least. Now, in most cities, if you were sixteen years old and you wanted to be an actor, you would try out for some school plays, maybe watch a lot of movies, and basically spend your high school years hanging out with the drama crowd and dreaming of the future. As far as Jake was concerned, the future was too long to wait. He didn't want to be an actor when he grew up, he wanted to be one yesterday. And, were you to ask him, he would tell you he already was an actor- he was just waiting for the world to notice.

"Audition today?" his father asked. Hmm, how'd he guess?

"Five o'clock in Seattle," Jake answered, holding up a script page. "I have one line." He squinted down at the page. "Anything _is_ possible, if you just believe."

Sure, it was just a line, but Jake believed it. The boy was an incurable optimist- but Bella tried not to hold it against him.

Jake waved hello to Bella and pulled open the passenger-side door. He hesitated before getting in, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the decrepit interior and the door, which looked as if one wrong move might knock it off its hinges.

"See what you force me to drive to school in, Dad?" Jake asked. "No offense, Bells," he added over his shoulder. "Don't you feel bad for me?"

"No," his father said. "I feel bad about the three cars that you totaled."

"You are _so_ overreacting," Jake complained. "I just had a run of bad luck."

"It takes more than bad luck to drive a car into the lake. That takes skill and planning."

Jake sighed. His father had a point. He hated it when that happened. He hopped into the car and slammed the door behind him. "What are you wearing?" Bella asked him, catching her first up-close look at Jake's bizarre outfit.

"It's my Snoop Dogg look," he said.

Bella turned of the ignition. "I am not driving you to school like that," she said firmly.

"Oh, come on," Jake whined. "I'm a method actor. This is part of my training."

The car stayed off.

Jake sighed again- totally defeated, twice in the space of five minutes. He opened the car door and slunk back toward his house to change. "There goes my Oscar."


	5. Chapter 5

**All characters go to their respectful owner.**

* * *

The old truck chugged into the school lost, and Bella and Jake began the painful daily ritual of searching for a parking space. It seemed to be one of the rules of high school that the parking lot was structured like a particularly frustrating game of musical chairs, inevitably containing fewer spaces than there were cars. Typical high school mind games.

"Primo parking spot dead ahead," Jake crowed, pointing through the windshield. Bella carefully pulled forward toward the space. But just as she was about to pull into it…cut off! A yellow Porsche 911 Turbo veered ahead of her and swung into the empty spot. Noticing Bella's irritation, the three girls in the car laughed and high-fived one another.

"You snooze, you lose," they sang out in sync.

Meet Tanya, Rosalie, and Alice. Tanya Denali ruled the school- or at least thought she did (and had most of the student body pretty much convinced). She also ruled Rosalie and Alice, who would have done anything to stay in their queen's good favor. Tanya- and, because she told them to, Rosalie and Alice- always dressed in the latest styles, kept her hair perfectly groomed and her nails impeccably manicured. Bella thought they were ridiculous. Jake thought they were a little piece of heaven.

"Well, if it isn't Tanya Denali and her ladies in waiting," Jake swooned, gazing at the love of his life. "Tanya wants me so bad."

"You've never even talked to her," Bella reminded him scornfully.

"I've talked to her," Jake protested. "At least…in my mind. And let me tell you…in my mind, she wants me oh so bad."

"Jake, you can do so much better than Tanya Denali," Bella said. "Even in your mind." She would never understand Jake's obsession with this girl. She just hoped it would pass, and soon.

"Hey, there's another spot," Jake observed, gesturing off to the side. Bella turned her truck and aimed it toward the new spot. And, just as she was about to pull into it, her truck stalled!

"Oh, come on!" Bella cried, pounding the steering wheel in frustration. And at that instant, a silver Volvo came out of nowhere, swooped in, and stole the space.

"You snooze, you lose!" the Volvo boys called out. The doors opened and the space thieves piled out, slapping hands. Meet Edward, Emmett, and Jasper- Tanya and Co.'s male counterparts. From his silky, bronze hair, to his intense, emerald eyes, to his perfectly chiseled body, Edward was almost a work of art- and, of course, it didn't hurt that he was captain of the football team, student body president, and effortlessly, impossibly charming. Half the school was in love with Edward Masen, and he knew it. If the guys were a boy band, Edward would definitely have been Justin Timberlake- and Emmett and Jasper stuck around as his backup singers in hope that they might land some of his leftover groupies. Edward didn't need them- he had Tanya. (Who else would be good enough for the king of the school?)

"Edward!" she called, wiggling a finely manicured hand in his direction. "We've got a serious crisis on our hands," she informed him as she approached, Rosalie and Alice following close behind.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"Now, the way I see things, we have a lock on the senior poll for best couple, best bods, best smiles, and most popular," Tanya explained. "But we're lagging behind in class humanitarians, so I was thinking we should do something involving humanity."

Edward looked surprised, then thoughtful. "Not a bad idea," he said. "There's this big-brother program in Port Angeles that we-"

"No, no, no, no, no," Tanya interrupted, shivering at the thought of interacting with the masses. The horror of it! What was he thinking? "I just meant we should write some checks to…I don't know, like, the whales? People love it when you save them."

Edward shook his head. "You're all heart, Tanya."

"I am, Edward," she defended herself.

Bella, watching- okay, eavesdropping on- the whole encounter, couldn't believe her eyes and ears. "People like Edward and Tanya are genetically programmed to find each other," she said incredulously. "How can that much ego be in one relationship?"

"Imagine what they say about you," Jake pointed out.

Bella laughed. "They don't even know I exist."

That's when Tanya noticed them staring. "Oh, Pyew," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Stalker-azzi at three o'clock."

Rosalie and Alice knew their role, and they played it to perfection.

"Hey, dinergirl, can I get some waffles to go?" Rosalie asked.

"Nice Granny-mobile," Alice added, shooting a sarcastic glance down at the truck.

Tanya grabbed Rosalie's cheerleader megaphone and aimed it at Bella. "This zone is for cool people only," she boomed. "No geeks!" The A-list ladies laughed and walked off.

Jake turned toward Bella with a self-satisfied smile. "And you thought they didn't know you existed."

* * *

Bella and Jake pushed their way through the throng of students flooding into the school; like the parking lot, the front doors always seemed- almost deliberately- just too small to accommodate all the people pressing through them. High schools could be so sadistic sometimes. They headed toward their lockers, rolling their eyes as Renesmee, the school DJ began her daily monologue. Their lockers were right next to the DJ booth, and Renesmee peered out through the glass as they walked by. Checking out Jake? Was it possible? Captain Oblivious, of course, never noticed- he was still imagining the way Tanya's face would look on the day she declared her love for him.

"Buenos dias, Spartans! Here's your daily flood reminder to keep our town from becoming an underwater city," Renesmee announced in an artificially cheery voice that totally belied her personality. Renesmee was actually prettier than most of the popular girls, like Tanya and her crew, but she refused to have anything to do with that crowd. Hiding behind her dark makeup and even darker view of the world, she preferred to stand on the sidelines and mock.

Bella loved her, but she could never understand why Renesmee would want to serve as the voice of the school, mouthing administration policies she didn't agree with and advertising events that- under normal circumstances- she wouldn't be caught dead attending. "And don't forget," Renesmee continued, "today's your last day to pick up tickets to the big Homecoming Halloween Dance. Whoop-ditty-doo! You too can dress up like someone you're not, for a change. I mean, let's get real." Bella burst into laughter- there was the Renesmee she knew and loved. She turned around to wave hello, just in time to see Mrs. Cope- a stickler for doing things the "proper" way in her classroom and in the world at large- rapping on the DJ booth window.

"Just stick to the announcements, Renesmee," she yelled through the glass.

Renesmee sighed. "I pledge allegiance to the flag," she began, as Mrs. Cope stood up stick-straight and proudly held her hand over her heart. Now, this was the proper way to begin the morning…

* * *

Tanya, Rosalie, and Alice, of course, didn't need to push through crowds. Girls like that don't push, they glide. As the student body jumped out of their way, Tanya and her girls swept through the hall like royalty, brushing away their subjects with a decisively uttered "Move," whenever any of the masses came too close to touching them.

Jessica and Lauren, never too quick on the update, hadn't gotten the memo that they weren't supposed to speak to Her Royal Highness and her ladies in waiting. They waved as the clique passed by, like eager puppies wagging their tails. Only not cute. "Tanya, hey, Sister-Friend!" Lauren tossed out.

Tanya shot her a phony smile- one that didn't even begin to melt the ice in her eyes- then turned back to her friends. "Remind me again why we tolerate them?" she whined.

"Because they gave you a Prada bag for you birthday," Alice suggested.

Rosalie snorted-in a ladylike way, of course. "Try Fraud-a-bag. Totally fake."

"Oh yeah." Tanya made a mental note. Her brain may not have been her best asset, but it had plenty of space for a daily update to the list of who was hot and who was most definitely not.

Onward and upward. The procession continued, the girls moving and speaking as one. "Move…move…move…" Bella watched in disgust. It was hard for her to decide who was more pathetic here- Tanya, for thinking she ruled the world, or Jessica and Lauren, for believing her. But before she could pick a winner, her very own stalker startled her out of her reverie.

"Greetings, Isabella," Mike said, sidling up beside her as he did every morning. "You look absolutely stunning today, as per usual."

Bella forced a smile. "Thanks, Mike." Mike looked as per his usual, too- though Bella noticed he was wearing his favorite T-shirt, which announced to the world that "Darth Vadar Was Framed." Bella knew that Mike believed that with all his heart. If Tanya and Edward perched on the top rung of the high school social ladder and Bella and Jake were stuck at the bottom, then Mike, well…Mike didn't even know the ladder existed. Mike thought he was on the escalator. On a completely different planet.

"Mike is my Earth name," he reminded her. "I prefer to be known by the name betrothed to me by my extraterrestrial brethren."

Well, this was even better than usual. "What is it?" Bella asked.

"It's a high-pitched squeal, dangerous to the fragile ears of earthlings," he explained. "Therefore, I cannot tell you." Mike's watch beeped, and he looked down at it, alarmed. "If you'll excuse me, I must get back to my galaxy now," he said quickly, and rushed away.

Jake chuckled softly. "Poor guy."

"Hey, at least he's happy," Bella pointed out.

"Happy?" Jake repeated incredulously. "He lives in another world!"

"He's not alone," Bella said, looking down at the ground. "Sometimes fantasy is better than reality."

Before Jake could ask her what was going on with her- and he knew it was something- Bella's cell phone rang. She whipped it out, smiling at the words 1 TEXT MESSAGE blinking on the screen. "Speaking of fantasy…" Jake said knowingly as Bella took off down the hall, beaming.

"I'll catch you later!" she called back over her shoulder.

Jake shook his head, bemused. "Ah, the secret admirer beckons."

Yes, one more thing you need to know about Bella: she had a secret admirer. Or, rather, a secret pen pal. It was just a little thing, but it was also the one thing that made her life bearable these days. It just happened to be a little…embarrassing. After all, what does it say about you when the highlight of your daily social life is an electronic conversation with someone you've never met? For all Bella knew, Mr. Right could turn out to be Mike. But she hoped not- because to her, he seemed more like Prince Charming.

Bella raced to the courtyard and slouched down next to her favorite tree, reading her text message.

**(Bella** _Admirer_)

_Where have u been? We haven't talked in ages._

**We talked this morning, **Bella wrote, hitting SEND. A moment later, her cell phone vibrated.

_I can't stop thinking about u,_ she read. Wow. What to say to that? _What's on your mind right now?_ He continued.

**You first,** she typed playfully.

_I'm thinking Mr. Banner's dissected one 2 many frogs._

Bella looked up just in time to see Mr. Banner walking across the courtyard with a definite hop in his step- his shirt, tie, and suit were all a very froggy green. Bella's phone vibrated again, and she looked down to read:

_It's Kermit's Revenge._

Bella laughed- then gasped as something occurred to her. Was he out there somewhere? Seeing the same things she was seeing? Seeing her? She scanned the courtyard, looking for a familiar face- not that it would necessarily be familiar. There weren't too many people outside this early in the day, but she spotted a few:

A wannabe rapper typing away on his cell phone- probably composing a deep new poem. She hoped.

Mike, techno-stalker, typing away on his cell phone…

Bella sighed. No way. Not possible. At least, she hoped not. She looked back up at Mr. Banner, who was continuing to display some alarmingly froglike behavior.

_Ribbet ribbet,_ her mystery man added.

**Lol.** SEND.

The cell phone vibrated again, and Bella choked on her laughter as she read the next message. _I want to hear your laugh. When can we meet?_

Meet? Could she really handle that? She typed in her response, then hesitated for a long moment before pressing SEND. But as the bell rang, she figured, Why not?

**Soon.**

Soon. She couldn't believe it- and she couldn't wait. Bella stood up and brushed herself off, taking one last look around the courtyard, wondering. Was he out there somewhere? Maybe wondering about her? Then she shook her head, and ran back toward the school. She'd find out soon enough.

* * *

And in another part of the courtyard…another cell phone vibrated, and another text message appeared.

**Soon.**

He couldn't breathe. He was finally going to meet her. His mystery girl. The girl of his dreams.

He just hoped she wouldn't be disappointed.

**Reviews please!!!** ~BloodyLullaby95


	6. Chapter 6

**All characters go to their respectful owners.**

* * *

The next day, Bella hurried to the library's computer lab as soon as her free period began. As always, she logged in as "PrincetonPrincess92." Would "DaDevilPlaysFootball2" (i.e., Prince Charming) be online?

She breathed a sigh of relief- there he was. She wasn't surprised- sometimes it just seemed like they were totally on the same wavelength. Or maybe he'd just figured that she would be online, since she'd lately been spending all her free periods in the library (so okay, she was a little addicted- so what?).

**PrincetonPrincess92: You know what really bugs me? The kids who can't get over themselves.**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: Tell me about it. It's like I'll be surrounded by a ton of people and still feel all alone.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: I'm with you on that one…Can I ask you a question?**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: You just did.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: Haha. Do you think we've ever met?**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: I don't know. Our school has over fifteen hundred kids.**

**PrincetonPrincess92: Well, there's a start.**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: I can at least eliminate the guys.**

There was a pause, and then:

**DaDevilPlaysFootball2: You're not a guy, right? 'Cause if you are, I'll kick you butt.**

Bella laughed out loud, drawing suspicious stares from the people around her.

**PrincetonPrincess92: I'm not a guy**.

They'd been forced to end their conversation when the bell rang, but they picked it up again that night. Bella sat entranced in front of the computer, not caring that she was living in the attic or that she had a million hours' worth of homework stacked up around her. Talking to DaDevilPlaysFootball2 made her forget all about that.

* * *

And in another room across town, "DaDevilPlaysFootball2" sat in front of his computer, equally entranced and equally eager to fun away from the realities of his own life.

**PrincetonPrincess92: Have you told your dad about Princeton yet?**

He looked up from his computer to the UW football banners that covered his walls. He shook his head ruefully. The "Princeton" discussion was not going to go well.

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: No, he's not an easy person to go up against.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: Well, my father always encouraged me to speak my mind.**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: I don't think it would work. You see, he's living his life again through me.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: Talk to him.**

**DaDevilPlaysFootball2: It's hard. Everyone thinks we're really tight, but I've never been able to connect with him. I don't think he understands me…I can't believe I just told you that. I've never told anyone that.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: It's okay. You can trust me. What time is it?**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: It's about two.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: Two? We've been at this for five hours!**

**DaDevilPlaysFootball2: I think we broke our record. ; )**

** PrincetonPrincess92: I should turn in.**

**DaDevilPlaysFootball2: I hear you. Sweet dreams, PrincetonPrincess.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: Sweet dreams, DaDevilPlaysFootball**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: We need to find shorter names for each other.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: Some other day, I'm too tired.**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: G'night.**

** PrincetonPrincess92: G'morning.**

** DaDevilPlaysFootball2: Fine, G'morning.**

But he wasn't ready to go offline- it was always hard to say good night to her. He wasn't surprised they had talked for five hours; he could talk to her all night long and not even notice the time passing. Unlike…his girlfriend. He looked at the picture of the two of them pinned to his bulletin board- she'd stuck it up there for him, telling him it should be the last thing he looked at before he went to bed each night.

She liked to do that. Tell him what to do.

Everyone in his life did.

Everyone except for "PrincetonPrincess92"

He looked at the picture again, then noticed the flyer hanging next to it, an announcement of the upcoming Halloween dance. And suddenly, he knew what he wanted to do. What he had to do.

He took down the photo and threw it in trashcan next to his desk, then turned back to his keyboard, typing feverishly.

Now the ball was in her court.

* * *

Bella finished brushing her teeth and headed back to her "bedroom," yawning. She couldn't believe that it had gotten so late- the long and wonderful conversation had passed in a heartbeat. She was about to climb into bed when she noticed an instant message blinking on her computer. More from "DaDevilPlaysFootball2"? Curious, she returned to her desk and opened the message.

**DaDevilPlaysFootball2: The time had come for us to meet. Place: under the disco ball at the Halloween Homecoming Dance. Time: 11 pm sharp.**

Oh. My. God.

Bella didn't know what to do. Heart pounding, she backed away from the computer, never taking her eyes off the screen. They were actually going to meet- if she had the nerve. And did she? Let's be honest, she didn't even have the nerve to write him back. Not yet, at least. Instead, she climbed back into bed and turned out the light. But she knew that tonight she wouldn't be getting any sleep.

* * *

WHACK!

Bella sent another ball flying. She'd hoped that some batting practice might help calm her nerves. She was wrong. "This is great, Bells," Jake called to her for the hundredth time, from his post by the pitching machine. Jake, dressed today like a hippie, stuck out on the softball field like a sore thumb- but he hadn't complained (well, okay, he had complained, a lot, but only for the first hour or so) when she dragged him down here, and he was doing his best to cheer her up and calm her down. "You're finally going to meet him."

WHACK!

Oops. Jake ducked out of the way as the ball whizzed by his left ear, a little too close for comfort. "I don't know," Bella said. "This guy is too good to be true."

"Look, it's been a month since you guys met in the Princeton chat room," Jake pointed out. "You guys talk all the time. You _know_ him."

"But he doesn't know _me_," Bella said. "I mean, what if I meet him and I'm not what he expects? Maybe it's better to keep this whole relationship in cyberspace."

WHACK! Another run batted in. If there'd been a runner. Or a game.

"No! You have to go to that dance. This DaDevilPlaysFootball guy isn't going to stay in one place for long." Jake paused, looking thoughtful. "Look, if it helps, I'll be your escort."

"Really?" Bella asked, suddenly feeling a little more hopeful.

"Really."

Bella smiled in relief. "You rock, Jake." And that's when her cell phone rang- just when things were starting to look up. She answered the phone and…

"WHERE'S MY SALMON!!!!" Bianca's voice came screeching through the phone, puncturing Bella's newfound calm and her eardrum. Bianca hung up immediately, and Bella snapped the phone shut.

"I have to go," she said, resigned. Jake didn't have to ask why- everyone within a fifty-yard radius had heard Bianca's primal scream- but he also didn't have to like it.

"Bella, why do you act like her slave?" he asked.

"Simple. No Bianca, no money for Princeton."

"That's lame," he said.

Bella smiled ruefully. "Tell me about it." One last ball shot out of the machine and Bella swung with more force than she'd managed all afternoon.

WHACK!

It soared over a fence and disappeared…

* * *

…and landed on the football field, rolling directly toward the captain of the football team himself, Edward Masen, who was getting in some extra practice with Jasper. Could Edward have some stress to burn off, too? Did handsome, popular football team captains even get stressed? "Whoa, a girl hit that?" Edward asked, sweeping up the ball. "Impressive."

"So what are you and Tanya going to the dance as?" asked Jasper.

Edward hesitated- but there was no time like the present. "I don't think I'm going with Tanya," he admitted.

"Say what? You're not going with Tanya? Who else would you go with?"

Edward threw the ball back to the baseball diamond. "It's a mystery to me."

"Thank you!" a girl's voice called from the softball field.

"You're welcome!" Edward shouted back. Then he went back to worrying. Who would his mystery date turn out to be?

Review!~BloodyLullaby95


	7. Chapter 7

**characters belong to their owners**

* * *

It was a big day. The day of the Halloween Homecoming Dance. Which meant big changes were in store- for everyone.

Edward spent the afternoon the way he spent every Saturday afternoon, working at his dad's car wash. Big Masen's Car Wash was the largest car-wash chain in Washington. It was also the only chain to offer a thirty percent discount for the UW football fans. Let's just say that Big Masen liked football- specifically, UW football- a lot.

Edward was taking a break, tossing a football around with on of the other car-wash employees, when his dad, Anthony, walked out and interrupted them, looking none too pleased. "What's up?" Edward asked.

His father tossed an envelope toward him. It was from Princeton. "Something you want to tell me?" Edward's dad asked.

Edward squirmed under his father's stern gaze. "I'm just trying to keep my options open."

"You don't need options. Edward, I'm a major contributing alumnus. It's all been taken care of." When Edward didn't express his undying gratitude-or, in fact, say anything at all- his father continued. "Look, we've been working on this program since you were nine. You're gonna play ball for UW, graduate, then co-manage the family business with me. Your future is set. Don't mess with the plan."

Edward sighed. "Wouldn't think of it."

"Now go help out with the customers and let's put an end to this nonsense." Anthony turned away and headed back to his office- there was a game on, after all, and it was just begging him to watch.

"Whatever you say, Dad," Edward muttered, hating himself for not having the nerve to talk back to his father. But, instead of following him inside, Edward did what he was told, and headed toward the entrance to wait on the next customer.

Bella pulled into the car wash, relieved to take a brief break. She'd been driving around town all day, buying Bianca's groceries, picking up Bianca's dry cleaning, and generally driving herself crazy to serve Bianca's every tiniest whim. As she pulled her car up to the entrance, she saw Edward Masen himself come jogging toward her. Great. Just what she needed to top off an already miserable day- an encounter with the enemy. If she had known that one of the school's "best and brightest" worked here, she most definitely would have gone somewhere else.

"You could use a wax," Edward said, once he'd had a chance to check out the old beat-up truck.

"Uh…fine," Bella told him, just wanting to get this encounter over with as quickly as possible. But before he could get started on her truck, a horn beeped behind them. They looked over to see two brightly colored VW Bugs- both completely covered in mud. Bella would have recognized them anywhere-the stepsister-mobiles. And sure enough, there were Lauren and Jessica, each standing proudly beside a spattered car.

"Edward! Hi!" they called, waving excitedly. "We need our cars washed! Look! Dirt!" Edward told them they'd have to wait, and got to work on Bella's car. She knew she should just wait there with him, steering clear on the wonder twins, but she couldn't stand the idea of making awkward small talk with someone who clearly didn't understand why people like her even existed.

So, choosing the best of two terrible options, she headed over to talk to Jessica and Lauren. "So, who'd you pay to make your cars so dirty?" Bella asked.

"What are you, the dirt police?" Lauren said, tittering.

"Yeah," Jessica chimed in, "the dirt police, like…" She wracked her tiny brain for an appropriate insult. "Like, excuse me, young lady, do you know how fast your dirt was going?"

There was an awkward silence, as not even Lauren could bring herself to laugh. "You should have stopped at the dirt police," she sneered.

Jessica ignored her. She had something better for Bella, anyway. "You better get going," she told Bella. "Our mom's looking for you, and she is m-a-d mad."

Bella wasn't surprised. When was Bianca ever not mad?

"Where is she?" Bella asked.

"She's at home," Jessica said. "Baking."

Bella retrieved her freshly waxed truck, almost eager to get home and find out what that was all about. Bianca, baking? This she had to see.

When Bella got home, she found a bikini-clad Bianca in the backyard, lying facedown in a tanning bed. Baking under the fake sun, of course. "You wanted to see me?" Bella prompted, hoping that she was interrupting Bianca's oh-so-precious relaxation time.

"Yes," Bianca replied, not bothering to look up. "Have you finished your errands?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Stop calling me ma'am," she snapped. "You just do that to make me feel old."

"Sorry." Bianca was being ridiculous…but on the other hand, Bella did do that just to maker her feel old. Good to know it was working.

"You put the day's receipts in the safe?" Bianca asked.

"Check."

"Picked up my dry cleaning?"

"Check."

"Ordered more salmon?"

Bella suppressed a smile. "Check."

"Good. Now, I'll need you to head back to the diner and take the night shift."

Bella couldn't believe it- after all she'd done today? Wasn't that enough? Wasn't anything ever enough? "Tonight's the night of the Halloween Homecoming Dance," she protested.

"Bella, please try to not be so inconsiderate," Bianca interrupted. "Tonight's a busy night for us. We need the manpower."

"But I really need to go to this dance!" Bella pleaded.

"But I really need to go to this dance!" Bianca repeated, mockingly. Then her voice go serious- and cold. "What you need is tuition money for college. This isn't a gravy train I'm running."

Bella couldn't take it anymore. "Bianca, I'm a straight-A student, I work seven days a week, I'm taking extra AP classes so I can graduate early, and I never ask you for anything." She took a deep breath. "Why won't you ever let me do anything fun?"

Bianca wasn't even fazed. "Bella," she began, in a sugary sweet voice dripping with venom, "you're not very pretty and not very bright. I know it hurts. But I'm just trying to protect you."

"But…" Bella's voice trailed off. What could she say to that?

Nothing apparently. "This discussion is over," Bianca said with finality.

Dejected, deflated, defeated, Bella slipped away. Biance hit the remote that would lift up the top of the tanning bed so she could turn over. The machine whirred furiously, but nothing happened. "Oh, come on," Bianca growled. She hit the remote again. And again. Still nothing. Finally, she gave up, forcing the top open with her hands until the mechanism kicked in.

"And get this bed fixed!" she called out as Bella disappeared into the house. Her evil work done for the day, Biance sighed in contentment and rolled over onto her back. She hit the remote again and this time, the bed indeed responded- all too soon. The top of the bed slammed down on top of her, hitting her in the face.

"My nose!" she shrieked.

It was classic- and it would have made Bella the happiest girl in the world for at least an hour…if she had only seen it happen.

So that evening, Bella found herself trapped at the diner, rolling through the kitchen with an armful of dirty dishes rather than getting ready for the night that could change her entire life. Figures. Just when it seemed like something good was about to happen, Bianca stepped in and ruined it. Lost in thought- well, more accurately, lost in bitterness- Bella almost crashed into the wicked stepmother herself, who'd deigned to come down and spend an hour or two supervising the staff.

"Would you please watch where you're going?" Bianca snapped, jumping backward.

"Sorry, Bianca." Bella noticed that her stepmother was wearing a Band-Aid over her nose, which had turned a nasty shade of black and blue. It looked painful- a fact from which Bella tried not to take too much pleasure…

"Now, I'll be picking up Jessica and Lauren up from the Halloween Dance. I'll be back at twelve to check on you." Bianca squinted suspiciously at her stepdaughter. "You better be here."

Bella nodded, and Biance whirled around, almost colliding with Rhonda, who had crept up behind her. "You've got a booger in your nose," the waitress informed her, with a playful glint in her eye. Bianca cautiously touched her nose, then yelped in pain, as even the slightest touch to her bruises sent shock waves ricocheting through her body. Rhonda just smiled.

"Where are you skates?" Bianca asked, trying to regain the upper hand.

"If I wanted my butt on wheels, I'd get in my car and drive," Rhonda said.

"It's part of the uniform," responded Bianca, who sensed she was, for once, fighting a losing battle.

"If I wanted a uniform, I would've joined the Army." And without another word, Rhonda walked away, leaving Bianca standing there with her mouth open. She froze for a moment, then stalked out of the diner, slamming the door behind her. Bella swore she could feel the temperature in the room rise a few degrees once the ice queen had departed.

"Girl, how do you put with it?" Rhonda asked once the coast was clear.

"Why do you think I'm graduating a year early?" Bella said. "So I can get out of here. So I can be three thousand miles away at Princeton."

Rhonda shook her head. "Well, save a seat for me." She turned back to her customers, and Bella knew she should probably do the same. Then she noticed who her next customer was- Edward Masen. Just her luck. Bella groaned but sucked it up and started heading over to his table- then froze as Tanya, Rosalie, and Alice glided into the diner. No way was she dealing with them right now, not in the kind of mood she was in. Rhonda could handle it. Eleanor could handle it. Someone else would just have to handle it. And that's when Eleanor swept past, her arms filled with plates, and nodded over toward Tanya and Edward's table.

"Bella, dear, I'm desperate! Could you cover that table for me? Eleanor asked quickly, still moving.

"But…" But it was too late, Eleanor was already gone. Bella looked over at Edward and Tanya's table, her heart sinking. _Well, this is my life_, she thought. _Better suck it up and deal with it._

"Why do I have the feeling I won't be able to get a Zone meal here?" Tanya complained, cuddling up against Edward while trying not to let any of her exposed skin touch the table or the seat of the booth. She just knew this place was crawling with germs.

"I already ate," Rosalie said, throwing down the menu.

"Laxatives don't qualify as a food group, Rosalie," Alice sniped.

Edward looked totally trapped. "Who said anything about eating?" he asked. "I just wanted to have some time to spend with Tanya- _alone_." He stopped talking as Bella skated toward their table to take their order.

Tanya looked up in disgust. "Well, if it isn't diner girl."

Bella slapped on her best perky grin. "What can I get you guys?"

Tanya wrinkled her nose. "What can I get here that has no carbs, no sugar, and is fat-free?" she asked.

Bella pretended to think for a second, then answered, "Water…or air." Edward tried not to laugh. He knew he shouldn't laugh. But he just couldn't help it.

Tanya pointedly ignored him. "I'll have a bottled water," she told Bella. Bella skated away, muttering- but she didn't get very far before Tanya called her back. "Oh, diner girl!" Bella returned, looking at Tanya expectantly. "Some lemon on the side," Tanya requested, smiling sweetly. Bella nodded and skated away. And then- "Oh, diner girl!" Bella turned around again, almost falling over on the sharp curve, but righted herself just in time and returned to the table.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure it's bottled."

Bella looked like she desperately wanted to say something, but instead she just pressed her lips together very tightly, whipped around, and skated away.

Edward jumped in before the conversation could get away from him again. He had to get this taken care of before he completely lost his nerve. "Tanya, I need to talk to you…_privately_," he insisted.

Tanya just laughed. "Anything you say to me you can say in front of my girls."

"I really don't think it's a good idea," Edward said doubtfully.

"Edward, relax. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and tell me your thoughts."

Edward shook his head. If this is the way she wanted it… "Okay." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I want to break up." He opened his eyes- he couldn't read Tanya's face. She didn't look upset, just…irritated. Seriously irritated.

"Are you in love with somebody else?" she asked.

Edward decided it was best to be honest. "Possibly."

Now Tanya looked ready to pounce. "Who is it?"

"I don't know…yet." Edward paused, wondering what to say next. "I hope we can be-" Tanya grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him toward her, their faces only inches apart.

"If you say the work 'friends,' I'll kill you," she hissed. "Now, fortunately for you, I'm going to overlook this mental breakdown of yours. Consider yourself forewarned. I'll see you at the dance." She gestured toward Rosalie and Alice, and the two girls scurried to follow her as she stood up and stalked out of the diner.

Bella came out of the kitchen with the bottle of water- lemon on the side- just in time to catch Tanya and the girls leaving the restaurant. Typical. There went ten minutes of her life that she'd never get back. A moment later, Edward got up and headed toward the door himself. As he reached for the door, it flew open in his face and Jake- decked out in full Zorro costume, cape, mask, sword, the works- burst into the restaurant.

"Have no fear, Zorro is-"

Zorro was crashing into Edward Masen- the type of collision that tends to destroy a dramatic entrance. Edward edged around him, disappearing out the door before anything else could stop him. Jake barely noticed.

"I'm gonna try that again," he said, stepping back outside the restaurant and then bursting back in. "Have not fear, Zorro is hear! And he's got the keys to his dad's Mercedes." That's when Jake caught sight of Bella, still wearing her oh-so-classy poodle skirt and roller skates. "You're not going to the dance dressed as a waitress are you?" He asked.


	8. Chapter 8

**Everything goes to there respectful owners.**

**

* * *

  
**

"I'm not going," Bella said in a deflated monotone.

"What do you mean you're not going? What about Cyberdude?"

Rhonda overheard him and veered toward them- there was no way she was missing out on the gossip. "What's a Cyberdude?"

Jake grinned, eager to have someone else on his team. "Her secret admirer. He wants to meet her…"

"And…" Rhonda prompted.

"And I have to work," Bella pointed out.

"But this is your true love," Jake argued.

"Well then, true love will have to wait."

Rhonda slammed her fist down on a table. "That does it! A person can only take so much." She turned toward Bella. "You are going to that dance. I am sick to death of that woman taking advantage of your good nature."

"You tell her, girlfriend!" Jake cheered.

Rhonda shot him a dirty look.

"Guys, I can't go," Bella protested. "If Bianca finds out I'm not here, she'll make my life miserable."

"Like it's not right now?" Rhonda asked.

"You tell her, girlfriend!" Jake cheered again.

Rhonda- not a small woman by any means- took a threatening step toward him. "You call me 'girlfriend' one more time…" Her voice trailed off, but as she towered over Jake, she got her point across. The Rhonda softened, putting her arm around Bella. "Look, Bella," she said in a low voice. "You were everything to your father. Everything he did, he did for you." Bella nodded, tears in her eyes. "But now he's not here. So the things he would have done, you're going to have to do for yourself. And I know that if he were here, you'd be going to that dance."

By this time, the rest of the diner employees, attracted by all the shouting, had crowded around Bella and Rhonda. "You're always studying or working," Bobby added in. "It's time for you to do something for yourself."

"I never do anything for myself," Bella said slowly, as if just realizing it.

"No, you don't," the group chorused.

"I deserve to go out," she said, a little more boldly.

"Yes, you do," her friends encouraged.

"You know what?" Bella grinned, a little of the old, tough Bella coming back into her eyes. "I'm going to go."

"Yeah!" the group cheered.

Then Bella's face fell. "Not."

"Why not?" everyone asked, in a single voice.

"I don't have a costume."

Dead silence. How could you go to a costume ball and meet the love of your life…if you don't have a costume? Then, very slowly, a smile crept its way across Rhonda's face. She turned away from the group, toward the diner's remaining customers.

"EVERYBODY OUT!" she boomed. "Time to go! Don't worry about the bill, it's on the house- just get up and go. Right now." No one moved. Who'd ever heard of kicking all the customers out of a restaurant? They were confused, they were mystified, they weren't sure what to do, but they were still seated. Until- " WE'VE GOT A RAT!" Rhonda shouted. And chaos ensued. Moments later, the restaurant was deserted, except for Bella, Jake, the staff, and one large, large man eating his pie in the corner, reading a paper. Rhonda rolled her eyes and went up to the table, grabbing his plate of pie.

"I'm not finished," the guy complained.

"Oh, yes you are!"

Rhonda, Bella, and Jake arrived at the costume shop just as the clerk was locking up. Not that that stopped Rhonda. "Kevin, Bells needs a costume," she said.

Kevin was a tired-looking older man who looked like he just wanted to go home and go to bed. "Rhonda, it's Halloween night," he complained wearily. "There's nothing- and I'm closed."

"Free breakfast for a week?" Rhonda wheedled.

Kevin hesitated for a moment before unlocking the door. "Make that a month." The three friends barreled into the store, then stopped cold in the doorway as they surveyed the rows and rows of empty racks. Kevin wasn't kidding- this was going to be a challenge. Still, there were a few costumes left…and Bella tried them all on for size.

Freddy Kreuger.

"I wanted to be the girl of his dreams, not his nightmares," Bella pointed out.

Matador.

"It's a dance," Bella said. "Not a bullfight."

Rhinoceros.

Cockroach.

Turtle.

"At least you're coming out of your shell," Jake joked.

Skintight leather-clad video game action heroine.

This one was the last straw.

"I…can't…breathe…" Bella gasped, dropping to the floor melodramatically.

Soon they'd run through all the costumes, and had found nothing. "Rhonda, this is hopeless," Bella said. She was ready to give up and go back to the diner. But Rhonda was no quitter- and she'd just had her best idea of the night.

The racks may have been empty, but the wall was still covered with dozens of colorful, glittering masks- and Rhonda grabbed the glitziest, most glamorous mask of all.

"I don't have the rest of that costume," Kevin warned.

"Well, I do!" Rhonda said, grinning. "Let's go!" She grabbed Bella's hand, and led her out of the store. The three of them drove to Rhonda's house and, leaving Jake to wait in the car, Rhonda and Bella went inside to dress Bella for the ball.

As Rhonda rummaged around in the bedroom, Bella waited in the living room, admiring the way Rhonda had filled her living room with beautiful paintings and knick-knacks. The room itself was a work of art. "You sure have a knack for taking something simple and making it beautiful," Bella called out to her.

"Thanks!" Rhonda emerged from the bedroom carrying a large box. "This was my mother's wedding dress. She always wanted me to put it to good use."

Bella was taken aback- she hadn't expected anything like this. "Rhonda, I couldn't."

"Please, Bella. You'd be doing me an honor."

Bella didn't know what to say. She gave Rhonda a hug, holding her tightly for several moments before letting go. "Talk about my fairy godmother," she said finally, her voice choked with emotion.

Rhonda looked a little embarrassed and began searching through a pile of boxes. "All we need is one final touch." Soon she'd found the box she was looking for, and opened it with a dramatic flourish. She lifted out a beautiful, jeweled mask. It glistened in the light as if it was covered in diamonds. Bella took it from Rhonda with trembling hands. She had everything she need for her costume…now it was time to go meet Prince Charming.

It was called the Port Angeles Grand, but it looked like a castle. And deep inside, hundreds of costumed students whirled the night away in a fabulous, star-spangled ballroom. It was bound to be a magical night.

"Welcome, Forks High School seniors, to the annual Halloween Dance!" There was Renesmee, spinning records up onstage and trying to rally the students…in her own special Renesmee way. "Tonight a panel of our esteemed teachers will use their years of higher education to pick out a Prince and Princess of the dance, thus making the rest of us feel terrible about our already meaningless lives." And with that, she turned up the music again- and the crowd went wild.

* * *

Tanya, Rosalie, and Alice had struggled a long time with their costume choice. But finally they'd decided- or, rather, Tanya had decided for them. "Charlie's Angels, right?" said some kid dressed as Einstein.

"What are you, some kind of genius?" Tanya asked sardonically. She pulled out a compact and checked herself out in the mirror. "How do I look?" she asked the girls.

"Dressed to kill!" they chorused.

Tanya nodded. Time to get down to business. "Where is he?" And, Rosalie and Alice following a suitable distance behind, she took off through the crowd in search of her prey.

* * *

"Okay, how are we supposed to do this, genius?" Lauren asked her sister, pointing toward the stars. Jessica and Lauren were dressed as cats. More accurately, they were dressed as one cat, with two heads. From the head up they looked pretty cute, with their spunky cat ears and frisky whiskers. But from the head down? That was another story. Squeezing into a single costume proved more difficult than they'd expected. Each leg of the cat had two legs in it, which meant that instead of walking, they had to hop. Making it pretty difficult to get anywhere, like down the stairs.

Jessica looked dubiously down the staircase, then hopped down the first step. "Like this."

"I can't believe I let you be in chare of the costumes," Lauren complained. "I'm such an idiot."

"I remember it very clearly," Jessica said defensively. "I said, 'How about a Siamese cat' and you said okay."

"Right, Siamese cats, not Siamese twins." Lauren paused for a second, looking confused. "Hey, are we having a catfight?"

* * *

Edward, Jasper, and Emmett had planned to be the Three Musketeers. Emphasis on had. Edward, unfortunately, was decked out in tight pants, a frilly shirt, and a cape. What was he supposed to be? Who knows. But definitely not a musketeer.

"Sorry about your costume getting lost, Edward," Jasper said.

"It's not a big deal," Edward told him, distracted. He had better things to think about than a stupid costume. Things like her. Where was she? Who was she?

"This sucks," Emmett said. "Now you're Prince Charming and we're the two wimps in wigs."

"Wait, that's what you are?" Jasper asked. "I never would have guessed that."

But Edward barely heard them. He was too busy looking around the ballroom, wondering. And waiting.

* * *

Bella hid under Jake's cape for the whole ride to the hotel, but once they arrived, it was time to unveil herself. Except that she didn't want to. "Bells, will you take my cape off already?" Jake urged. "You look amazing."

Bella gave him a strange look. "Jake, you're not 'DaDevilPlaysFootball2', are you?"

Jake laughed. "Bells, we've been friends since we were five. You're like my sister."

Bella smiled. Jake was right, it was a crazy idea. "Sorry, I'm just freaking out a little bit. Don't forget, I need to be back at the diner by twelve."

"Give me your cell phone," he suggested. She hiked up her dress (it's hard not to be ladylike when you're wearing a dress, but Bella seemed to manage) and pulled the phone out of her garter belt. "I'll set the alarm on it," Jake explained. "Quarter to twelve. Now, give me the cape…it's time."

* * *

Lauren and Jessica made it down the stairs intact- well, pretty much intact- and were on a mission. They hopped past Mrs. Cope, one of the costume contest judges, and oh-so-subtly dropped a twenty-dollar bill at her feet.

"Girls," Mrs. Cope called out after them, "you dropped this." She waved the bill at them.

"Are you sure?" Lauren asked, winking hard in Mrs. Cope's direction. "I think that's your twenty-dollar bill…if you catch my drift."

Mrs. Cope shrugged her shoulders and pocketed the money. "Thank you."

Jessica leaned toward her sister. "I don't think she caught the drift," she whispered.

But before they could take their bribery to the next level, Mrs. Cope was distracted by a commotion by the entrance. "Who is that charming young lady?" she asked, pointing at the figure descending the stairway. The dancing abruptly stopped as everyone's attention was captured by the new arrival. They gazed up at the stairs, overcome by a beautiful vision in white lace. She wore a long dress that made her look like a princess and a jeweled mask that scattered the light into a glowing aura around her gleaming chestnut brown hair.

Who was she?

She was, of course, Bella. And she was spectacular.

Midway down the stairs, Bella suddenly noticed that she was the center of attention. "Jake, what's everybody staring at?" she asked from behind her mask.

"You."

And he was right. The room was in awe. Jessica and Lauren couldn't take their eyes off of her.

"I know that girl from somewhere," Lauren said.

"I've seen her before," Jessica agreed.

Even Tanya and her friends were captivated.

"I love her dress," Rosalie gushed.

"Who is she?" Alice wondered.

Jake led Bella through the crowd to the center of the dance floor. Right under the disco ball, where she had a date with Mr. Wonderful.

"You sure I look okay?" she asked Jake one last time.

He looked her up and down, admiringly. "Bells, he'd be a fool not to fall for you." He gave her a hug, and then disappeared off into the crowd. Bella was left alone under the disco ball. Wondering. And waiting.

And then- a voice behind her. A guy. "Did you know you're standing directly below the disco ball?"

She smiled and turned around, ready to meet her future. And there was Mike the techno-stalker, dressed like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. Only not hot. Bella couldn't believe it. Could not believe it. Mike?

"It seems that fate has brought us together, right here, at this anointed hour, under the shimmering disco ball," Mike said, gazing into her eyes.

Trying not to be overwhelmed by a flood of horror and disappointment, Bella forced a smile. "Are you really…DaDeviPlaysFootball?"

"DaDevilPlaysFootbal?" Mike repeated. "Why, I haven't been called that since they canceled Deep Space Nine. Now join me in the mating dance of Zion." He held out his arms to her. "Galaxies have been lost and won because of this dance." Mike grabbed Bella and started to do…could it be? The techno-geek version of the Lambada? Could her life get any more ludicrously pathetic?

Bella extricated herself from Mike's tentacles. "Could you get me something to drink?" she asked.

"Some libations for the fair maiden? Your wish is my command." And he scurried off into the crowd, hopefully never to be seen again.

"I knew this was too good to be true," Bella muttered to herself. And that's when she heard it. Heard him.

"PrincetonPrincess?"

A voice behind her. Bella turned around- telling herself that no one, no one could be worse than Mike.

Wrong.

* * *

Review!!!~BabyBallerina95

I changed my pen name, btw.


	9. Chapter 9

**Everything belongs to their rightful owners.**

* * *

"Edward Masen?" she asked incredulously. "You're DaDevilPlaysFootball2?"

Edward's face fell. "Don't sound so thrilled."

Bella began to back away. "I'm sorry, but I think this was a mistake. I've got to go."

"Wait!" Edward said desperately, reaching out for her. "It's not a mistake."

"Don't you know who I am?" Bella asked.

But of course, he didn't- her face was hidden behind the glittering mask. And as far as she was concerned, it was going to stay that way. "Of course I know who you are," Edward lied confidently. "You're…you're the girl whose dad owns that mansion in Seattle? The one that throws the cool parties?"

"No."

If at first you don't succeed…

"Wait a minute, I got it!" Edward said triumphantly. "Ferrari girl! You're Fer-" Catching her scornful look, he stopped. "I guess not."

"You have no idea, do you?" Bella said.

Edward met her gaze defiantly. "Yes, I do. You're PrincetonPrincess92. You're the girl I've been waiting to meet. What's your name?" Before she was forced to answer, Mike returned with her punch. Saved by the geek.

"Your sweet libations, m'lady," he said, offering her a cup. Then Mike noticed Edward. Noticed Edward gazing at Bella and Bella gazing at Edward. "Edward Masen with m'lady," he said in a robotic voice. "Mission abort." Mike bowed deeply, then left them alone. Together.

"What about your girlfriend?" Bella asked, deftly avoiding the name question for the moment.

"My girlfriend?" Edward asked. He'd forgotten all about her. Forgotten everything that wasn't the beautiful girl in front of him.

"Tanya," Bella prompted.

"It's over," Edward said distractedly. He was entranced. He was enchanted. He was in love. Of course, it wasn't over. It would never be over until Tanya decided it was over. And that time had definitely not come.

But neither Edward nor Bella realized that Tanya was in the balcony watching them through binoculars. She hadn't taken her eyes off them since they'd met. But they only had eyes for each other.

"I guess you were expecting some guy that hangs out at Starbucks and writes poetry?" Edward asked his mystery girl.

"Something like that," Bella admitted. "I mean, you're Edward Masen. Football captain. Student body president- and closet poet?" She shook her head. "You can't be both guys."

"I know that," Edward said.

"Well then, who are you?" she asked.

Edward sighed. "I don't know."

That wasn't the answer Bella was looking for, and it certainly wasn't the one she needed. She tried to turn away, but Edward stopped her.

"What I do know," he said, talking quickly and earnestly, "is that through our emails we have real conversations. On October 11 I wrote, 'When I talk to you…"

"…I feel I can be myself," Bella finished for him. She knew those words by heart.

"Just give me a chance," Edward pleaded.

Bella's head was spinning. How could it be- Edward Masen? DaDevilPlaysFootball2? It just didn't make any sense. And yet, the things he said…she knew him. And he knew her, like no one ever had. And the way he was looking at her…

"I still don't know your name," Edward reminded her.

"I'm Be-" But Bella couldn't bring herself to say it. "Cinderella."

Edward smiled. "Okay, Cinderella. How 'bout joining me for a stroll outside?"

Bella caught her breath. She'd been hoping he would say that- and dreading it. "If you want to be voted Homecoming Prince, you should probably stay inside," she pointed out, stalling for time.

"I really don't care about becoming Homecoming Prince." He held his hand out and, after a moment, she took it. Edward led her outside, into the lush grounds surrounding the hotel. The green grass stretched on forever and a stream sparkling in the moonlight trickled from pond to pond. Weeping willows whispered in the breeze and the lights strung through their branches twinkled like stars.

It was too good to be true.

Except it was.

Edward clasped Bella's hand. "From your emails, I feel like I know you so well," he said. "But are you ever going to tell me who you actually are?"

Bella smiled cryptically. "I haven't decided yet."

"Would you tell me if I guessed right?" Edward asked.

"Maybe…"

"How about we play twenty questions," Edward suggested.

"How about ten?"

Edward smiled. "I'll take what I can get. Okay, first question." He thought for a moment. "You do actually go to Forks High School, right?"

"Of course," Bella assured him.

"Just checking. You never know with the Internet. Okay, next question. Were you disappointed when you found out I was DaDevilPlaysFootball? Be honest."

Bella had to think about it for a second. "Surprisingly, no." And it was the truth.

"Did you vote for me for student body president?"

"Surprisingly, yes." Also the truth.

"Alright, given the choice, would you rather have a rice cake or a Big Mac?"

" A Big Mac, but why does that matter?" Bella asked with a chuckle.

"Hey, I like a girl with a hardy appetite. Besides, you just eliminated over fifty percent of the girls in our class."

Edward looked intently at her, trying to figure out whose face might be behind the mask. "You'd think I'd remember those eyes," Edward murmured. He felt like he was drowning in them.

"Um…next question."

* * *

Tanya yawned. This party was getting old, fast. And it didn't help to have to put up with dull, dull Emmett, Edward's dull, dull friend. It was bad enough when she'd had to pretend to be into him when Edward was around- nothing worked better than making boys jealous- but now that it was one-on-one, she had no incentive not to blow him off.

"What are you supposed to be?" Tanya asked, feigning interest.

"A Three Musketeer," Emmett said.

"You don't look like a candy bar," Tanya said, confused.

"So, now that you and Edward are toast, why don't we have our own little party, Tanya?" Emmett suggested, inching closer to her. "I've got my mom's mini-van tonight…"

Tanya recoiled. "Ew! I'm not hanging out with you in your creepy mom-mobile."

"Come on, Tanya," Emmett said, slinging his arm around her. "Don't be such a tease."

Emmett pulled her in for a kiss, but Tanya squirmed away. "Back off, Emmett," she said harshly. "I was just trying to make Eddie jealous."

The loser lunged toward her again. Tanya tried to push him away, but Emmett was all over her, and there was no hope getting around him. That's when her knight in shining armor swooped in to her rescue.

Jake, dressed as Zorro and totally acting the part, pulled Emmett off of Tanya and- with a very un-Jacoblike show of strength- sent him flying. "The lady said stop!" Jake bellowed theatrically. He pulled out his sword and brandished it in Emmett's direction. Unfortunately, the sword was made out of plastic. Emmett grabbed it out of Jake's hands and snapped it in two.

"I think I just saw your life flash before your eyes," Emmett growled.

"Oh yeah," Jake said defiantly. "Well, did you see the part where I run away?"

Emmett, never too quick on the uptake, didn't get it. "Huh?"

"Run awa-a-a-a-a-a-ay!" Jake called over his shoulder as he bolted away. It took Emmett a moment, but then he took off in pursuit. Jake raced to the circular bar and scrambled up onto it. Emmett followed close on his heels, and they chased each other around and around until Jake leaped down inside. He turned back to look up at Emmett, who was grinning down at his trapped prey.

"I'm through running," Jake said solemnly.

Emmett laughed and knelt down on the bar, ready to pounce. But Jake didn't look too worried. "I hate to tell you this, dude, but I starred in Pirates of Penzance three summers in a row." Jake grinned. "Say hello to act two, scene one."

Jake flung up the hatch on the bar, slamming it into Emmett's chin. Emmett flew back off the bar, crashing into a table and falling to his knees. And, in a perfect final blow, a giant pumpkin teetered off the table and landed on top of Emmett's head.

Tanya ran up to Jake. "My hero!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms.

Up onstage, totally oblivious, Mrs. Cope cut off the music and grabbed the microphone. It was time for the judging.

"I was right in the middle of a power jam," Renesmee protested. "You just totally harshed my mellow."

Mrs. Cope just ignored her, like usual. "Good evening," she said to the crowd. "I hope everyone has been having a great time tonight. As you all know, it's almost midnight, and that means it's time to announce who we've selected as this year's Halloween Prince and Princess!"

Before she could continue, a roll of dollar bills flew through the air and hit her in the head. "Could you girls give it a rest?" Mrs. Cope said, staring pointedly down at Lauren and Jessica.

Review, review, review! ~BabyBallerina95


	10. Chapter 10

Bella felt like she'd been walking with Edward forever- but she also felt like the whole night had flown by in a heartbeat. As they wandered the grounds, they suddenly came across a beautiful white gazebo, strewn with hundreds of flowers and candles. Judging from the rows and rows of folding chairs and the mariachi band packing up, it had been some wedding.

As Bella soaked in the romantic surroundings, Edward still couldn't take his eyes off his princess.

"Any chance I can yet you to remove that mask of yours?" he asked.

"On the first date?" Bella said playfully. "I don't think so."

Edward sighed. "Fair enough." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the altar. "If I ask you to dance, does that count as a question?"

"But there's no music," Bella protested.

"Says who?" Edward turned toward the band and said (in Spanish- very impressive), "One more for the road, please. I really like this girl."

The band smiled and picked up their instruments. Soon, a romantic song was floating through the air. Edward pulled Bella close, and they began to sway back and forth, lost in the music.

Spotting a discarded bridesmaid's bouquet over Bella's shoulder, Edward swept up the flowers and handed them to Bella.

"Do you, PrincetonPrincess, feel like you made the right choice meeting me tonight?" he asked her solemnly.

"I do." She smiled up at him. "And do you, Edward Masen, have any desire to see me again after tonight?"

"Well, I'd have to think about that," he said, and she froze. Quickly, he grinned. "I'm kidding. I do. I do." He tentatively reached out his hand to lift up her mask. Bella was actually going to let him, when-

RING!

Her cell phone. Talk about ruining the moment. Bella hiked up her dress and grabbed the phone. "Not now!" she moaned.

"What?" Edward asked, concerned.

"I've got to go," Bella said. It was the last thing in the world she wanted to do.

"Do you have a curfew or something?"

"Something like that. I'm sorry." She squeezed his hand for a moment, and softly grazed his cheek with her fingertips. "Thank you," she whispered. "This was an amazing night." And with that, she took off, racing back toward the hotel.

"Wait!" Edward called after her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm late!" Bella shouted over her shoulder.

"For what?"

"Reality."


	11. Chapter 11

**Not mine, unfortunately.**

Sorry that it took so long. I have all of the chapters written, I just have to type them.

* * *

Back in the ballroom, Mrs. Cope had doled out almost all the costume awards and was ready to pass out the night's top prizes.

"And the best sucking-up costume goes to Eric Yorkie, who came as my parking spot!" she announced. Eric proudly marched up onstage to accept his trophy. He was wearing gray overalls with two white stripes painted down the side, and had a Styrofoam parking barrier slung over his shoulder with RESERVED FOR MRS. COPE painted on it. The crowd roared.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," Mrs. Cope said. "Your new High School Homecoming Halloween Prince and Princess are…"

Oblivious to the awards ceremony, Bella raced through the room, looking for Jake. She was so intent on her search, in fact, that she didn't hear the final announcement.

"…Edward Masen and Cinderella!" Mrs. Cope finished.

Jessica and Lauren threw their arms in the air, crying, "Fix! Rip-off!" But no one could hear them over the thunderous applause.

Edward rushed into the ballroom, looking for his mystery date. But before he could catch up with her, he was swarmed by a throng of cheering admirers who dragged him toward the stage. He was trapped- and Bella was free to escape.

It took a while, but Bella finally found Jake in a corner…making out with _Tanya_! She couldn't believe it. Of all the strange things that had happened that night, this might just be the strangest. She noticed that Jake was still wearing a mask of his own, and wondered if Tanya even knew who she was kissing.

What a bizarre night.

Tanya rested her head on Jake's shoulder and closed her eyes, which is when Jake noticed Bella, frantically waving and pointing toward where her watch would be-if she had one. Jake gave her a sad, begging look. Didn't she see that he was in heaven?

Bella put her hands on her hips, miming exasperation. And, with a sigh, Jake finally gave in. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I must bid you _adieu_," he said gallantly to his lady love.

"A what?" Tanya asked.

"I'm outtie." Jake whipped his cape around and took off after Bella, leaving behind a Charlie's Angel who gazed after her departing hero like a lovesick puppy. Bella and Jake made it to the staircase, but just when Bella thought she was home free, she spotted Edward pushing through the crowd in her direction.

"Wait!" he called. But there was no time. Bella raced up the stairs and out of the hotel. Edward charged after her, stopping to pick up the cell phone that she'd dropped without realizing. He burst through the doors into the parking lot-but it was empty. He was too late. At least she'd left something behind. Proof that he hadn't imagined her. Edward cradled the cell phone in his hands. It could be the key. He would find her again. He just had to.

By this point, Bella had realized that her cell phone was gone, but that was just too bad- there was no time to go back for it. Every second counted.

Once they'd actually reached the car, Bella could relax a little and absorb the excitement of the night.

"I almost kissed Edward Masen!" she said breathlessly, as Jake started the engine.

But he one-upped her on that one. "I totally kissed Tanya Denali!" he crowed. "So, what did Edward say when he found out you were…you?"

Bella blushed. "He didn't."

"You didn't tell him?" Jake asked incredulously. "Why not?

"I don't know. I…I panicked."

Jake pulled the car out of the lot, and they both crossed their fingers that they would make it back to the diner in time. It was going to be a close call.

Lauren and Jessica climbed into the backseat of Bianca's car, a little apprehensive about what their mother would have to say about their failure to win- that is rig- the costume contest.

"Why isn't there are crown on your heads?" Bianca barked.

"Because we didn't win," Lauren admitted. "Some girl stole it from us.'

"I am very upset about this," Bianca said.

"You don't look upset," Jessica observed. And it was true- bizarrely, although her voice had risen to a fever pitch and her hands were clenching the steering wheel, Bianca's face remained completely serene.

"It's the Botox," Bianca explained. "I can' show emotion for six to eight weeks. But trust me," her voice took on an edge, "I am devastated."

The car pulled up to a stop sign and, as the girl looked out the window, they realized they recognized the face looking back.

"Smella!" they shouted in unison, pointing toward their stepsister.

In the Mercedes, Jake pushed Bella's head down below the window. "Step Monster at three o'clock," he hissed through gritted teeth. "Don't move."

Lauren and Jessica couldn't tattle on their stepsister fast enough.

"Mom!"

"It's Bella!"

"Over there!"

Bianca turned to look at Jake's car-no Bella. Only Jake humming to himself. He waved innocently. "Hi, Mrs. Swan," he called out from his car. "Ladies." And with that, he drove away.

Bianca turned to her daughters with a look of disgust.

"She was in the car!" Lauren whined.

"We saw her!" Jessica added.

"That's ridiculous," Bianca snapped. "Bella's working tonight. She would never disobey me."

But the twins knew what they'd seen. "She was there!" they cried.

Back in Jake's car, Bella was busy freaking out. "Did she see me?" she asked Jake, her heart pounding a mile a minute.

"I don't think so," Jake reassured her. "But those wannabe Olsen twins might have."

Bella caught her breath. "Jake, listen," she said. "I know you want to take good care of this car, but can't you please just step on it?"

Jake looked horrified. "Bells, I'm already going 38 in a 35 zone!"

The twins weren't having any better luck. They were flopping around the car like fish on a sunny dock, but Bianca continued to drive toward the diner at an annoyingly moderate speed.

"Mom, hurry!" Lauren shrieked. "We've got to beat her back."

"Can't you drive any faster?" Jessica pleaded.

"Girls, settle down," Bianca said. "We'll be at the diner soon enough."

"Soon enough isn't soon enough!" Lauren yelled. Enough was enough. She twisted around in her seat, leaning toward Bianca and forcing her leg onto the gas pedal, shoving it down to the floor. With a squeal of rubber, the car lurched forward, the acceleration slamming them back against their seats. Out of control, the car hurtled toward the diner, as its passengers, Bianca included, screamed for their very lives.

Would they make it in time?

Would they make it at all?

The Jacob-mobile gently rolled to a stop.

At a yellow light.

Which lasted forever.

And then turned red.

Bella was doing her best not to scream. In a calm voice, or, in as calm a voice as she could muster, she pointed out, "You could've totally made that light."

"FYI, Bells, yellow means 'slow down'," Jake informed her, "not 'speed up'."

"Great, I ask for The Fast and the Furious and get stuck with Driving Miss Daisy."

Then suddenly, a car sped by them, a car filled with screaming, and suspiciously familiar, women.

Jake's mouth dropped open. "Was that…?"

"Uh-huh."

"Get your paw off the gas!" Bianca shrieked, frantically trying to maintain control of the car.

"I can't! It's stuck!" Lauren moaned.

Suddenly, the diner loomed ahead of them. Directly ahead of them.

"We're gonna die!" Jessica cried.

As their screams rose to a fever pitch, Lauren finally succeeded in wrenching her paw off the gas pedal, and at the last minute, Bianca whipped the steering wheel around, hard, sending the car screeching into the diner parking lot. It spun a 180 and then, finally, skidded to a stop.

Dead silence.

Bianca, Lauren, and Jessica looked around them, surprised to see that they were all still alive and intact. No one spoke, no one moved.

And then-

"I need to use the litter box," Jessica whimpered.

Bianca flew into the diner, her feline henchmen following close behind. Rhonda quickly moved into her path, an imposing obstacle, but Bianca was not to be dissuaded.

"Where is Bella?" she asked, in a voice of doom.

Rhonda smiled quizzically. "What do you mean, where is Bella? Where do you think she is?"

"She better be here!" Bianca responded, trying to edge her way around Rhonda.

"Bianca, have you seen our new salt and pepper delivery system?" Rhonda quickly asked. She held up two shakers…the same shakers that had been there for fifteen years. "You put salt in this one and the pepper in this one," she pointed out perkily. "It's a revolution!"

Bianca shot her a dirty look and veered to her left, but Eleanor was too quick for her.

"Did I show you the new shine our floors are getting since we switched to Mr. Clean?" she asked.

"Mom, I smell something fishy," Jessica said.

But Bianca was already on it. She pushed her way around Eleanor, only to be stopped in her tracks by Bobby, on his way out of the kitchen.

"Bianca, I have terrible news," he said with a solemn look. "The salmon passed away."

"That's it!" Bianca exploded. "When I find that girl, I'm going to wring her-"

DING!

At that sound of the bell, they all looked over to the kitchen pass-through, where Bella, complete with chef's hat and cheesy busgirl uniform, had tossed a sandwich on the counter.

"Order's up!" she called ringing the bell again.

"Bella?" Bianca asked, confused. "What are you doing back there?"

"Working on my culinary skills," Bella said.

Bianca looked helplessly at her stepdaughter, then shook her head and sighed. Without another word, she and the twins turned and traipsed out of the diner.

And Bella breathed a sigh of relief. She waited until they left to pull off her T-shirt and apron, under which she still wore the princess wedding dress.

Now it was she had left to remember her perfect night.

Out in the parking lot, Jake circled the Mercedes, searching for damage. Finding none, he patted its hood with a self-satisfied grin.

"Thank God we made it," he said to himself. "And not a scratch." He climbed into the car, threw it into gear, and drove toward the parking lot exit, directly toward Bianca's BMW, which came flying out from around the corner.

Jake swerved, just missing it.

And hitting the pole supporting the diner's giant sign.

He jumped out of the car to inspect the damage, once again finding none. Thank goodness. "Tonight mush be my lucky night," he told himself.

And then, a creaking sound filled the night air.

Jake looked up at the neon "Bianca's sign."

It slowly stopped rotating…and began to teeter. Just a little.

Then a lot.

With a loud crack, it toppled over, crashing down onto the hood of the Mercedes.

The car was totally trashed.

Bianca, who had stopped her own car after her second near-accident of the night, looked on in disbelief.

"Mrs. Swan," Jake called out, "your sign hit my car!"

It was the perfect end to a perfect night.

Not.

Pictures for this story are in my profile.

~BabyBallerina95


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